Vatican investigates Peter Phan

he
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is investigating a book on
inter-religious dialogue by Vietnamese-American priest, Fr Peter Phan
of Georgetown University.

The National Catholic Reporter reports that the US Bishops are also investigating the book.

The
book questions the uniqueness of Christ and the Church. These issues
were also behind other high-profile censures of theologians.

The
authorities are worried that the theologians appear to be teaching that
Christ is analogous to other religious figures such as the Buddha. They
also see that Christianity is being presented as one valid spiritual
path among others.

The case confirms that religious relativism is of particular concern to authorities.

Critics
of writers such as Phan believe his work creates confusion on these
points. And his defenders say Church authorities are drawing the
borders of theological discussion too narrowly.

Phan is a priest
of the Dallas diocese. He is also a former president of the Catholic
Theological Society of America. The book in question is his 2004 Orbis
publication Being Religious Interreligiously.

It's
believed Phan received a letter from the Congregation of the Faith as
far back as July 2005. The letter said the book is in tension with the
2000 Vatican document Dominus Iesus. That document states that non-Christians are "in a gravely deficient situation".

The
congregation asked Phan to write an article correcting the problems,
and to instruct Orbis not to reprint his book. Phan wrote back in April
2006 offering to comply under certain conditions. He is yet to receive
a response.

Last May, Bishop William Lori also wrote to Phan. Lori is chair of the US Bishops Committee on Doctrine.